A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess
Discuss This Book--Though this work of fiction is certainly worth reading, the work of non-fiction surrounding the novel is equally as fascinating. A Clockwork Orange was first published in 1962. There was a profound difference between the American version and the English version. England got the full novel - all 21 chapters. America only got 20. The general story was that the book would sell better in America if it didn't include the final chapter. It wasn't until 1986 that Americans finally received that 21st chapter. Even Stanley Kubrick's movie was missing the final chunk of the story, having been based on the first American version.
What makes the final chapter so special? It dramatically changes the point of the story. Burgess chose to use 21 chapters even before he put the novel into words. He chose 21 because the number symbolizes maturity. In England a person gains the right to vote at the age of 21. (Or at least this was the case when the book was written.) The math of it was important to Burgess, even if the average reader didn't catch on.
Alex is our narrator, and he tells us his story through Burgess's made-up slang language. At first the language is a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't make the book difficult to get through. In a way, it adds a poetic sense to the story. William S. Burroughs mis-named the book 'funny' because of the poetic slang. The book is certainly not funny. As the story begins, Alex is very young - about 15. He lives in a futuristic version of England, where the streets are ruled at night by young criminals and smart-minded individuals stay inside their homes with the doors tightly locked. Alex is one of the young criminals. He thrives on violence, and (strangely) the music of Beethoven. For him, Beethoven's music doesn't have a calming effect. It gets him fired up for some of the old "ultra-violence." He's a rapist, a theif and, eventually, a murderer. His own friends betray him to the police, and he's thrown into prison. Here he takes to reading the bible, but not purely for spiritual reasons. Alex enjoys the battle scenes and violence that he finds in the bible, and uses his 'faith' as a means to win the favor of the prison chaplain.
When a fight breaks out in Alex's jail cell, and he kills another prisoner, Alex suddenly becomes the perfect subject for a government experiment to turn a criminal into a law abiding person. The experiment is quick and simple. Alex gets a daily injection, then is forced to view violent videos. The injection is designed to train his body to feel sick at the violence in the videos. At the end of his treatment, Alex can't stand the thought of violence, and will do nearly anything to avoid it. Unfortunately, he also feels sick when he hears classical music, which was featured in the films for intensity. Alex is released after his treatment as a perfect Clockwork Orange. (Basically a living thing which has been turned into something mechanical. Obviously not a natural thing.)
After wandering the streets and deciding that his life is pointless, Alex finds himself in a situation where he can't escape the sound of classical music. It's all around him, and it makes him physically sick. To escape, he finally jumps out a window, hoping to kill himself. He later wakes up in a hospital with the feeling that they've been operating on his mind. After speaking with a few of the hospital personnel, Alex learns that they've "undone" his treatment. He finds that he no longer feels the sickness when he thinks about violence or listens to Beethoven's music. The end of the 20th chapter, and the end of the first American version of the book leaves us with "I was cured all right" - an eerie ending to an already frightening book.
In the 21st chapter, Alex grows up. He's just turned 18, and has a new group of friends. They go out at night doing all of the same violent things he did before he was sent to prison. It isn't the same for him anymore, though. He starts to feel restless, and doesn't take as much pleasure in it. Sometimes he doesn't even participate in the violence, preferring to watch his friends from a distance. One night, his new friends find a picture of a baby among the things in Alex's pockets.
Later that night, Alex finds himself face to face with one of his old friends. His friend is happily married, and Alex begins to think that this is what he's been looking for. He starts to want a son - a family. He realizes that he won't be able to prevent his son from making the same mistakes that he made. He won't be able to tell his son anything that will keep him from murdering someone... but he also realizes that his son will need to make that journey himself, as will his grandson, and so on.
The point of the story isn't that you can't change a person. The book clearly demonstrates that you CAN change someone, but also shows that it's dangerous and unnatural to do so. The point of the book is that change is something we do on our own. We grow and learn, and eventually we grow up and move on. It's only an effective lesson when the 21st chapter is included in the book. Otherwise, it's just a horror tale.
Click Here to buy A Clockwork Orange at Amazon.com (This version includes the 21st chapter.)
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